Table of Contents
As Margaret Fuller opined, today’s reader will be tomorrow’s leader, which is nothing but a boost of confidence every one of us needs in our line of business. With the dynamically changing economic outset and fast-growing business environment, one needs to deliver memorable customer service so that the impact stays stuck with them for a while.
Delivering a memorable customer experience might seem easy, but there are specific nuances and nudges that you have to pursue in your communication to ensure satisfaction. Therefore, we have compiled a list of books written by famous authors and business professionals on multiple dimensions of customer services so that you can perfect that particular aspect.
Topics covered are effective communication, customer loyalty, boosting customer satisfaction, strategies to overcome challenges, and creating a customer-centric environment. Therefore, let’s review the books individually to improve your skills and build a strong foundation, whether you are an entrepreneur or a professional.
20 Best customer service books you must read
Here are the 20 best customer service books one must read in 2023:
- "Uncommon Service: How to Win by Putting Customers at the Core of Your Business" by Frances Frei and Anne Morriss
- "The Nordstrom Way to Customer Experience Excellence: Creating a Values-Driven Service Culture" by Nordstrom
- "The Amazement Revolution: Seven Customer Service Strategies to Create an Amazing Customer (and Employee) Experience" by Shep Hyken
- "Hug Your Haters: How to Embrace Complaints and Keep Your Customers" by Jay Baer
- "The New Gold Standard: 5 Leadership Principles for Creating a Legendary Customer Experience Courtesy of the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company" by Joseph Michelli
- "The Thank You Economy" by Gary Vaynerchuk
- "What Customers Crave: How to Create Relevant and Memorable Experiences at Every Touchpoint" by Nicholas Webb
- "The Best Service Is No Service" by Bill Price
- "Exceptional Service, Exceptional Profit" by Leonardo Inghilleri and Micah Solomon
- "The Starbucks Experience" by Joseph Michelli
- "Customer Loyalty: How to Earn It, How to Keep It" by Jill Griffin
- "Ignore Your Customers (and They'll Go Away): The Simple Playbook for Delivering the Ultimate Customer Service Experience" by Micah Solomon
- "Be Our Guest" by Disney Institute
- "The Loyalty Effect" by Frederick Reichheld
- "Strategic Customer Service" by John Goodman
- "Delivering Happiness" by Tony Hsieh
- "The Effortless Experience: Conquering the New Battleground for Customer Loyalty" by Matthew Dixon, Nick Toman, and Rick DeLisi
- "The Cult of the Customer: Create an Amazing Customer Experience That Turns Satisfied Customers Into Customer Evangelists" by Shep Hyken
- "The Service Culture Handbook: A Step-by-Step Guide to Getting Your Employees Obsessed with Customer Service" by Jeff Toister
- "The Customer Rules: The 39 Essential Rules for Delivering Sensational Service" by Lee Cockerell
1. "Uncommon Service: How to Win by Putting Customers at the Core of Your Business" by Frances Frei and Anne Morriss
In this book, the author focuses on the importance of customer-centric elements in business success. The book provides tips and tactics for companies to focus on customer satisfaction and deliver memorable service.
Ratings: 4.5/5
Reviews
A Cardinal Work with Practical Insight
Over the past few years I've read numerous titles to improve my company's service delivery (including Raving Fans, Exceptional Service, Different, CS is Worthless, and many others). I believe each offered unique perspective and in turn anxiously hoped for more of the same with Uncommon Service. Well I just finished my kindle edition of this newcomer and can report being all but floored by this extraordinary work on the service process. Frei and Morriss tackle the subject with a less conventional look at how the design and execution process can derail even the best intentioned service offerings. With each chapter and telling example F&M regrettably exposed the folly of my own company's continued inability to attain our desired goal of unparallel client service. They explain why service (versus product) offerings so easily devolve into an all but the kitchen sink approach to customers' needs and show how companies can move to a rationalization-based approach while actually improving client satisfaction. After apologizing to my managers I plan to put these transformative ideas to work
- Dan Thibeault
Where can you get it: Buy from "Uncommon Service” Amazon
2. "The Nordstrom Way to Customer Experience Excellence: Creating a Values-Driven Service Culture" by Nordstrom
This book investigates the customer experience philosophy and practices. The readers can explore how to build a reputation for memorable customer service by promoting a values-centric culture. The book highlights the importance of empowering employees and creating a personalized shopping experience.
Ratings: 4.5/5
Reviews
Business culture handbook
This should be read by every business student, entrepreneur, or executive leadership (or any level). The values and culture instilled by this organization should be the precedent for anyone looking for success, especially in a customer service aspect.
- Krisyonushka
Where can you get it: Buy "The Nordstrom Way to Customer Experience Excellence” from Amazon
3. "The Amazement Revolution: Seven Customer Service Strategies to Create an Amazing Customer (and Employee) Experience" by Shep Hyken
The book explores seven different approaches to creating a customer experience that people will remember. It emphasizes the significance of consistently raising customer expectations, fostering strong and lasting relationships, and embracing a mindset that puts the customer at the center.
Ratings: 4.4/5
Reviews
It's for the entrepreneurial spirits our there
Loved this book! I found many examples of companies that figured out how to raise the bar and create occasional moments of amazement. Very satisfied with this purchase, I'm a serial entrepreneur and have been guided by principles learned in this book to become very successful.
- Ronald Simpson
Where can you get it: Buy "The Amazement Revolution” from Amazon
4. "Hug Your Haters: How to Embrace Complaints and Keep Your Customers" by Jay Baer
In this book, the author discusses the significance of customer feedback and complaints. The book argues that rather than avoiding or discarding complaints, businesses should embrace them as opportunities for improvement. The author also offers strategies for handling customer complaints, interacting with non-satisfied customers, and turning negative experiences into positive customers.
Ratings: 4.5/5
Reviews
Finishing before my class even begins!
I purchased this for my social media fundamentals course and I have enjoyed reading it. It looks like I will be finished before my course even begins, due to the well written, easy to read style. I appreciate the information and you changed my mind on a thing or two. I worked for Nordstrom and enjoyed your points of view.
- Rilee
Where can you get it: Buy "Hug Your Haters” from Amazon
5. "The New Gold Standard: 5 Leadership Principles for Creating a Legendary Customer Experience Courtesy of the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company" by Joseph Michelli
The book discusses how the author explores the customer service practices of the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company. The author talks about five leadership factors that have contributed to the company's reputation for providing memorable customer experiences. The book focuses on the importance of empowering employees and delivering personalized service to create an extraordinary customer experience.
Ratings: 4.6/5
Reviews
A Customer Service "Must Read" - Excellent!
As a business advisor and CEO coach to companies around the world, I read upwards of 120 books a year in order to find the very best ideas I can to help my clients succeed. I have several clients who are struggling to take the level of customer service their firms deliver to a much higher level -- so I sent every one of them a copy of this book! If you really want to understand what it takes to deliver consistently superior customer service "The New Gold Standard" is superb. When you combine it with Dr. Michelli's other fantastic book "The Starbuck's Experience" you have a solid platform to build on. Great ideas and tools, motivating stories and rigorous research - both of his books are at the very top of my list for customer service! I strongly recommend this book - you will not be dissappointed in any way.
- John B. Spence
Where can you get it: Buy "The New Gold Standard” from Amazon
6. "The Thank You Economy" by Gary Vaynerchuk
The author of this book highlights the significance of gratitude and appreciation in business. The author tells about the digital era and how to establish meaningful connections with customers. The book explores how social media and technology can be utilized to form unique bonds and interact with customers on an individual level.
Ratings: 4.6/5
Reviews
Overall a great book
Bought the “Thank you economy” book ‘cause I was a fan of Gary Vee’s speeches and I was interested to see what else he had to say. It’s quite the old book and a little outdated but still a great book explaining how important customer relations are. I see a lot of brands offering customer service up to the customers standards, but there are still a lot of ways to improve your customer’s experience and improve your customer’s relation with your brand. It goes into a lot more depth about how you should give each one of your customers the best experience you can and care about every single one of them. Overall a great book, would recommend.
- Robert
Where can you get it: Buy “The Thank You Economy” from Amazon
7. "What Customers Crave: How to Create Relevant and Memorable Experiences at Every Touchpoint" by Nicholas Webb
The author of this book allows readers to explore how businesses can provide customers with meaningful experiences at every interaction point. It delves into understanding customer needs, desires, and expectations and provides strategies for delivering personalized and engaging experiences.
Ratings: 4.1/5
Reviews
Three takeaways that will change my business--time well spent!
This book provides some practical insights on how to design exceptional customer experiences. What I like specifically was the fact that the author took the approach that customer experience planning is really an innovation design process. He also broke down the customer journey into more manageable touch points. My only criticism is that the book does tend to be a bit lofty for smaller companies and perhaps a bit too vague for larger companies. The reason I'm giving it five stars is that I was able to take three big ideas out of this book that I could immediately apply immediately in my business. I think that most readers will find that the takeaways that they will glean from the book are well worth the price and the time invested in the book.
- D. C. Cocke
Where can you get it: Buy "What Customers Crave” from Amazon
8. "The Best Service Is No Service" by Bill Price
In this book, the author argues that the best customer service is one that eliminates the need for customer contact altogether. It emphasizes the importance of designing products and services that are so reliable and efficient that customers rarely need to seek assistance.
Ratings: 4.5/5
Reviews
Practical, Easy To Read, You Won’t Be Disappointed
If you’re looking for a thorough crash course in CX or if you’re an entrepreneur looking to revamp your service practices, let’s just say you’ve found the right book.
The authors somehow crafted a thoughtful business textbook in a conversational style. It’s an easy read, great for referencing, and chocked full of case studies, statistics, and quick bits you can start using today.
All of the bases are covered here from service principles to call center team organization, even working with the c-suite to promote customer centricity. What’s not to love? You won’t be disappointed - KH
Where can you get it: Buy "The Best Service Is No Service" from Amazon
9. "Exceptional Service, Exceptional Profit" by Leonardo Inghilleri and Micah Solomon
This book focuses on delivering exceptional customer service to achieve higher profits. The readers can explore strategies for building strong customer relationships, training employees to provide exceptional service, and creating a service culture that sets a company apart from its competitors.
Ratings: 4.6/5
Reviews
The Bible of Customer Service
From the moment I opened (or slid over as I'm reading the Kindle version) the first part of this book, which was the table of contents, I was excited about what I might be able to learn from this book. As I read from page to page, reading their substantiated reasons for doing what they suggest with stories and experiences that clearly supported and elucidated their points, I knew this would be a constant resource for me, my staff, and my superiors.
I read the book and then gave it to the general manager of our company who became as enthralled as I was. We began implementing the smallest suggestions regarding client interaction which made huge differences immediately. Such as "anticipating customer needs" and "being on the customer's side". We've given our staff the power to make decisions or to promptly bring in upper management for a positive and quick decision that makes the customer feel listened to and appreciated. I won't go on and on, you'll have to read the book, but believe me when I say this is our customer service bible from which we will reference and create guidelines for improving our business through exceptional customer service. Thank you for this book!
- Pamela F. Stanley
Where can you get it: Buy from "Exceptional Service, Exceptional Profit" Amazon
10. "The Starbucks Experience" by Joseph Michelli
In this book, the author gives a complete customer experience at Starbucks, discussing the principles and strategies that have played an important role in the company's achievements. The book also offers valuable tips on how Starbucks establishes a friendly environment to deliver an exceptional experience consistently.
Ratings: 4.4/5
Reviews
Retail is detail
This book is a MUST read for baristas and other Starbucks employees as it reaffirms WHY Starbucks is the number one coffee shop in the world. The employees meet expectations of their customers as the third place and it goes beyond getting a hot cup of coffee or icy frappuccino. It means making contact with the customer by smiling and asking about their day and the ritual of writing their name on their cup and remembering their order if they are a regular. It means surprising them by connecting with them on a deeper level with humor and compassion whenever possible. It means offering a fair trade product and be involved in the community that Starbucks thrives in and making it a better place for those businesses around them. It means offering health insurance to part time employees and understanding the Starbucks experience means extraordinary commitment to excellence above and beyond their product.
- Sandra Trolinger
Where can you get it: Buy "The Starbucks Experience" from Amazon
11. "Customer Loyalty: How to Earn It, How to Keep It" by Jill Griffin
From this book the readers get the opportunity to explore the concept of customer loyalty. The book offers strategies for earning and maintaining relationships. The author also talks about the practical advice on building strong customer relationships applying loyalty models that drive customer retention.
Ratings: 4.3/5
Review
This is one of the best books I've read...Period.
I have read a lot of business books in my day, and this is one of the best books. When it comes down to a book being all fluff or pages filled with intellectual meat, this book is like a butchers shop. There is little wordage in this book that doesn't come with applicable ideas. A lot of authors try to fill up pages. This author trys to make her sentences count. I rarely ever write reviews on Amazon either. This book is worth reviewing. It is well worth the money, and after reading it, I feel obligated to sing its praises. I wish there were more books that had as much content in this in as little pages as it has. If the author reads this, WRITE ANOTHER BOOK! I'll buy it.
- Roley Anderson
Where can you get it: Buy "Customer Loyalty” from Amazon
12. "Ignore Your Customers (and They'll Go Away): The Simple Playbook for Delivering the Ultimate Customer Service Experience" by Micah Solomon
In this book, the author challenges traditional customer service approaches by encouraging businesses to go beyond basic customer satisfaction. The author highlights the importance of customization and anticipating customer needs. The book also offers a playbook for delivering memorable customer service that focuses on the human aspect of customer interactions.
Ratings: 4.6/5
Reviews
Customer Service Excellence journey
I usually don't write book reviews; however, this one caught my eye and really impressed me. The format of the book makes it not only an interesting read for the content, it also makes it easy to go back and review using the cheat sheet at the end of each chapter. The reading group guide can be used similar to an auditing tool. The questions help you think through how your company is either already implementing the principles discussed in the book or if not, why not.
However, the format is just a bonus. The real value is the insights, real customer examples, quotes and guidance this book provides. It's any easy read and the concepts can be applied to any customer service industry. Some of the ideas are easy to implement immediately with an existing team. Some are for the future like the chapter on recruiting. Either way, I think even the best customer service teams will gain something from this book.
- Aaron Habeck
Where can you get it: Buy "Ignore Your Customers (and They'll Go Away)” from Amazon
13. "Be Our Guest" by Disney Institute
The book focuses on customer service culture and offers insights into creating memorable guest experiences. The book talks about the different approaches to exceed customer expectations by creating a customer-centric culture through paying attention to detail and personalization.
Ratings: 4.7/5
Reviews
Valuable insights for anyone involved in, or aspires to a management position.
The success of the Disney organization is an unassailable fact. As experts at establishing a customer experience that is unparalleled, the decision to publish their methods and the rationale behind those methods is a remarkable gift to anyone who is involved in management, or aspires to be an exceptional manager. From hiring, to management, to customer interaction, this book provides tremendous insight into a success story that is worth emulating in any industry. An excellent read. Far and away one of the most valuable business books I've come across.
- James
Where can you get it: Buy "Be Our Guest" from Amazon
14. "The Loyalty Effect" by Frederick Reichheld
This book lets readers explore the link between customer loyalty and business profitability. The book offers practical-based strategies for improving customer loyalty, including building strong relationships, delivering exceptional service, and measuring customer satisfaction.
Ratings: 4.4/5
Reviews
Great book for people trying to understand "what it takes ...
Great book for people trying to understand "what it takes to improve Customer's perception of your organization?" & "how to build upon Customer's loyalty for your organization?" Fred Reichheld is a true Champion on Customer Loyalty
- DIPANKAR JHA
Where can you get it: Buy "The Loyalty Effect" from Amazon
15. "Strategic Customer Service" by John Goodman
In this book, the author focuses on the elements based on strategic study to provide better customer service. The book talks about the practical advice on how to align customer service activities with the goal of a business. The book also explains how to study and improve the success of customer service strategies with the help of customer feedback to improve the business.
Ratings: 4.4/5
Reviews
Great Book for Companies Looking to Implement Customer Care
ClosingCorp is a young company selling data products in the real estate and mortgage industry. We have spent the past 5 years building and selling our products. It has been tough to find the right products, as well as get them sold. We are finally getting some decent traction, and now I am finding new problems to concern myself with. I know that customer retention, satisfaction, and word-of-mouth, will now mean the difference between success and failure in this company.
I am not an expert in customer service, so looked for a book that would lead me down the right path. After finding and reading this book, I feel like I have a good handle on what we need to put in place. I have chartered my right-hand woman with implementing this new program, which I believe will transform how we operate as a whole. I am very excited about this transformation, and the book was exactly what I was looking for.
- Crystal california
Where can you get it: Buy "Strategic Customer Service" from Amazon
16. "Delivering Happiness" by Tony Hsieh
In this book the author explores the factor that a company's success and improvement depend on its dedication to customer satisfaction. The author highlights the significance of maintaining a positive relationship between customers and employees by talking about the importance of happiness for both parties.
Ratings: 4.6/5
Reviews
One real good book I have read in a long time
One real good book I have read in a long time. It is an honest account written amazingly well. I couldn't leave it before it was finished.. It's also a sort of coaching manual for all entrepreneurs.. The book is as much a motivational account about maintaining conviction in yourself to as much it is a guide on how to build a team - importance of having people in the team who believe in the idea and purpose, building an organization culture and maintaining it, importance of transparency in keeping the team together and about sharing the pains & gains.. The book's title is delivering happiness, but if you are looking to purchase it hoping to find a solution to happiness, then I don't think this really is that although it delves on that in the last chapter. But if you want to read a book about an entrepreneur's account of going through success, despair and success in creating a business that brings to life the concepts of mission, vision, values and culture then this is it..
- SM
Where can you get it: Buy "Delivering Happiness" from Amazon
17. "The Effortless Experience: Conquering the New Battleground for Customer Loyalty" by Matthew Dixon, Nick Toman, and Rick DeLisi
In this book, the author discusses the concept of reducing customer effort in the sense of driving loyalty. The book provides practical strategies for smooth customer interactions, solving issues efficiently, and creating a seamless customer experience that increase loyalty and satisfaction.
Ratings: 4.5/5
Reviews
Great customer service book
Great read. Study of what customers currently need from a business through customer service interactions. Results from actually studies of call centers supervisors, reps, and the customers themselves. Actual practical advise on how to use the information in this book in real business settings.
- Scott E Wallin
Where can you get it: Buy "The Effortless Experience” from Amazon
18. "The Cult of the Customer: Create an Amazing Customer Experience That Turns Satisfied Customers Into Customer Evangelists" by Shep Hyken
In this book, the author explores the concept of creating memorable customer experiences that go beyond satisfaction. The author highlights the importance of converting satisfied customers into loyal advocates for your brand. The author offers recommendations and strategies for businesses to convert to a customer-centric culture.
Ratings: 4.5/5
Reviews
A practical and inspiring guide
The latest edition of Shep Hyken's book, The Cult of the Customer, is packed with useful concepts and tools that any company, team, or individual can use to create amazing customer experiences.
Hyken "five cults" framework is especially useful. The concept centers on moving both customers and employees from a state of uncertainty, where the experience is never consistently great, to a state of cult of consistent amazement.
Some people might be turned off by the term, "cult" if they misunderstand the word and its meaning. Hyken does a great job explaining that the origin of the word cult comes from having a shared system of belief. It's entirely appropriate to think of amazing companies has having created a "cult of amazement" where everyone is committed to delivering a consistently excellent experience
- Jeff Toister
Where can you get it: Buy "The Cult of the Customer” from Amazon
19. "The Service Culture Handbook: A Step-by-Step Guide to Getting Your Employees Obsessed with Customer Service" by Jeff Toister
The author in this book focuses on how to develop a culture centered around service. The author provides clear, sequential directions on how to establish an environment where employees truly want to provide customer service. The author talks about establishing service benchmarks and nurturing a customer-centric mindset in the entire organization.
Ratings: 4.6/5
Reviews
Highly Recommended!
If you'd like to create change in your business culture so it focuses more on delighting customers, read this book with your team and begin implementing it's advice asap! It's filled with wisdom in order to pull this outcome off.
- Billy Brophy
Where can you get it: Buy "The Service Culture Handbook” from Amazon
20. "The Customer Rules: The 39 Essential Rules for Delivering Sensational Service" by Lee Cockerell
The author in this book presents a set of 39 fundamental rules for providing extraordinary customer service. The book provides extensive information on various subjects, such as leadership, communication, and how to make customer experiences more memorable.
Ratings: 4.6/5
Reviews
Great fundamentals
This book is so good it made me want to send it to my home office. Lots of gems. Sometimes we need to be reminded of some of the things in here. Be nice. Simple, but so hard to find. I've always said to the people I interview,"I look for nice. I can train you on the skills you need, but I can't train "nice"." It's either there or it's not. Most of the lessons in here are things people who have worked with the public for a long time already know. But people who are new to the customer service field can use this book to gain some experience the easy way instead of having to learn everything the hard way.
- Diane R. Dittmar
Where can you get it: Buy "The Customer Rules” from Amazon
Conclusion
The best customer service books featured in this blog are powerful resources that can transform your approach to delivering exceptional customer experiences. By delving into these books, you have gained valuable insights, strategies, and practical advice from experts in the field.
These books have emphasized the importance of empathy, active listening, problem-solving, and building strong customer relationships. They have provided guidance on handling difficult situations, exceeding customer expectations, and creating a customer-centric culture within your organization.
The best customer service books are not just sources of knowledge but also catalysts for positive change. Let the wisdom they offer inspire you to elevate your customer service standards, create memorable experiences, and differentiate your organization in a competitive marketplace.
By incorporating the lessons learned and prioritizing customer satisfaction, you can build long-lasting relationships, cultivate customer loyalty, and drive sustainable growth for your business. So, focus on customer experience and relationships to grow the business more effectively.
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